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Animals : An Open Access Journal From... May 2024With increasing efforts to ban surgical castration, it is important to find ways to mask the level of boar taint in meat. The aim of this study was to test the...
With increasing efforts to ban surgical castration, it is important to find ways to mask the level of boar taint in meat. The aim of this study was to test the possibility of masking boar taint or skatole levels by adding dried or and to evaluate consumer sensory preferences towards the skatole concentration in different carcass parts (; ; neck chop and subcutaneous fat) and the masking strategy (addition of or ). In the first experiment, the effect of the masking strategy was evaluated at three different skatole concentrations (0.069, 0.269 and 0.463 µg/g). The results showed that the samples with low and medium skatole levels were significantly different between the control group and the groups treated with or . In both cases, the addition of and had a positive effect on the parameters of abnormal odour and pleasantness of odour ( < 0.05). According to the results of the second experiment, meat samples from leaner parts, such as the neck chop and , not treated with and for masking, were significantly ( < 0.05) worse in terms of the occurrence of boar taint or abnormal odour than the masked samples. No significant differences were found between the two masking methods.
PubMed: 38891591
DOI: 10.3390/ani14111544 -
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Current research does not fully elucidate the key compounds and their mechanisms that define the aroma profile of fresh jujube fruits. Therefore, this study conducted a...
Current research does not fully elucidate the key compounds and their mechanisms that define the aroma profile of fresh jujube fruits. Therefore, this study conducted a comprehensive analysis of both free and glycosidically bound aroma compounds in fresh jujube fruits of ten cultivars. Utilizing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), we identified 76 volatile free aroma compounds and 19 glycosidically bound volatile compounds, with esters, aldehydes, and ketones emerging as the predominant volatile compounds in the jujube fruits. Odor activity value (OAV) analysis revealed that the primary aroma profile of the jujubes is characterized by fruity and fatty odors, with β-damascenone being a key contributor to the fruity aroma, and (E)-2-oct-en-1-al and nonanal significantly influencing the fatty aroma. Moreover, the integration of sensory evaluation and partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis pinpointed octanal, (E)-2-oct-en-1-al, nonanal, β-damascenone, and pentanal as significant contributors to the jujube's characteristic aroma, while isoamyl acetate was identified as significantly influencing the fatty acid taste. This study not only underscores the complexity of the jujube aroma composition but also highlights the impact of environmental factors on aroma profiles, offering valuable insights into the sensory characteristics of jujube fruits.
PubMed: 38891325
DOI: 10.3390/plants13111517 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Two cultivars of wild rocket (), cv. Denver and Marte, were subjected to chemical determination of flavour-related constituents, sensory descriptive analysis, and...
Two cultivars of wild rocket (), cv. Denver and Marte, were subjected to chemical determination of flavour-related constituents, sensory descriptive analysis, and measurement of liking by consumer test. Consumers evaluated rocket leaves both as a single ingredient and in a recipe formed by a roll of bresaola with also Grana Padano cheese. Sensory analyses showed that Marte was characterized by a more intense bitterness, hotness, and pungency, which corresponded to a higher total GSL content, mainly due to a higher level of dimeric 4-mercaptobutyl GSL. Five clusters of consumers were identified based on their liking scores. When tasting rocket leaves as a single ingredient, three clusters showed a higher liking for the milder cultivar, one cluster showed an opposite preference, while flavour attributes, such as bitterness and hotness, appeared as the main drivers of liking. Differences in liking were no longer found between the two cultivars when rocket leaves were evaluated in the recipe. Therefore, as rocket leaves are generally consumed as a part of a recipe with other ingredients instead of as a single ingredient, in the assessment of consumer preferences, it should not be neglected the influence of the way in which the product is consumed.
PubMed: 38890927
DOI: 10.3390/foods13111699 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024The application of organic fertilizers is one of the most important agricultural measures aimed at improving the flavor and productivity of , with the granulation and...
The application of organic fertilizers is one of the most important agricultural measures aimed at improving the flavor and productivity of , with the granulation and coating of organic fertilizers, which can reduce seepage losses of great significance to the ecosystem. In this study, Jingcai 8 tomato was selected as the test material. Headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) methods were used to investigate the effects of different pelletized organic fertilizers and various coating materials on the flavor profile of the tomatoes. The results indicated that 67 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were identified in the tomato fruits and 62 volatile compounds were identified in the leaves under different fertilizer treatments. The volatile compound content of the fruits in the BP treatment group was 35.38 μg/g, which was higher than that in other treatment groups, and the volatile compound content of the leaves was lower. A differential compound analysis with log|fold change| ≥ 1 and variable important in projection (VIP) > 1 highlighted styrene, 3-methyl-1-butanol, and (E, E)-2,4-hexadienal as the major up-regulated compounds and methyl salicylate as the major down-regulated compound in the tomato fruit BCK (control) vs. BP. Moreover, the α-phellandrene content decreased in the tomato leaves. In addition, an analysis of the tomato fruit differential compounds and compounds with odor activity values (OAV) of ≥ 1, considering the OAV values of characteristic aroma compounds, identified key compounds affecting the flavor of the tomato fruits under the BP treatment. These included 2-nonenal, (E)-2-pentylfuran, trans-β-ionone, 1-penten-3-one, (E, E)-2,4-hexadienal, and 3-hexenol (fruity, floral, and herbaceous odors), (E, E)-2,4-heptadienal (fatty odor), and hexanal (green odor). The combined results analysis of the volatile compound content, differential compounds, and OAV values of characteristic aroma compounds aimed to clarify that the BP treatment group, which applied pelletized, large-grain organic fertilizer with polyurethane (pozzolanic + small-grain oil-coated + 2% paraffinic + 4% polyurethane) as a coating material, proved to be most effective in influencing the flavor of the tomato fruits. This finding lays the foundation for its potential commercial application in artificial orchards.
PubMed: 38890880
DOI: 10.3390/foods13111653 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Qidan is one of the most famous varieties of Wuyi Rock tea and has a strong aroma. The aroma-active compounds in Qidan subject to different roasting times were analyzed...
Qidan is one of the most famous varieties of Wuyi Rock tea and has a strong aroma. The aroma-active compounds in Qidan subject to different roasting times were analyzed using solid-phase microextraction two-dimensional gas chromatography-olfactometry-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC×GC-O-MS), and a total of 92 aroma-active compounds were detected. Multivariate statistical analysis showed that the roasting time had a significant effect on the aroma characteristics of Qidan, and that the key products in the Maillard reaction accumulated with the extension of the roasting time; these key products were screened out according to the calculation of the odor activity values (OAVs), from which kinetic equations were established. It was found that the levels of 2-methylbutanal, 3-methylbutanal, 2-methylpyrazine, 2-ethyl-5-methylpyrazine, and benzaldehyde increased with time, while the contents of benzeneacetaldehyde showed a tendency to first increase and then decrease. This study provides a theoretical basis for flavor quality control during Qidan processing.
PubMed: 38890840
DOI: 10.3390/foods13111611 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024A twelve-week feeding experiment was undertaken to explore the impact of substituting dietary fish meal (FM) and fish oil (FO) with complex protein (CP) and canola oil...
A twelve-week feeding experiment was undertaken to explore the impact of substituting dietary fish meal (FM) and fish oil (FO) with complex protein (CP) and canola oil (CO) in the diet of triploid rainbow trout on the quality of their fillets. The control diet (F100) contained FM (60%) and FO (18.6%) as the main protein and lipid sources. Based on this, 50% and 100% of FM and FO were substituted by CP and CO and they were named as F50 and F0, respectively. The results showed that there were no significant differences in the specific growth rates, condition factors, gutted yields, fillet yields and yellowness values as the substitution levels increased ( > 0.05). The F50 treatment obtained the highest values of fillet springiness and chewiness, improved the umami and bitter taste of the fillets by increasing the contents of inosine-5'-monophosphate and histidine, and increased lipid, protein, C18: 1n-9 and C18: 2n-6 contents ( < 0.05). The F0 treatment obtained the highest values of fillet hardness and pH, attenuated the sweet taste of the fillets by decreasing the content of glycine, and decreased the contents of EPA and DHA ( < 0.05). Both F50 and F0 treatments could increase the redness value, decrease the lightness and hue values of fillets, and increase the odor intensity, resulting in the typical fillet odors of green, fatty, orange and fishy ( < 0.05). In general, 50% and 100% of FM and FO substitution did not affect the growth of trout, but it did affect quality. Compared to the F100 treatment, the fillet quality of the F0 treatment was similar to the F50 treatment and could improve the appearance and odor intensity of the fillets. However, the difference was that the F50 treatment increased the springiness, umami, bitterness and lipid nutritional value of the fillets, but the F0 treatment increased the hardness, decreased the sweetness, and decreased the lipid, EPA and DHA contents of the fillets.
PubMed: 38890820
DOI: 10.3390/foods13111591 -
BMC Genomics Jun 2024Ancient northern East Asians (ANEA) from the Yellow River region, who pioneered millet cultivation, play a crucial role in understanding the origins of...
BACKGROUND
Ancient northern East Asians (ANEA) from the Yellow River region, who pioneered millet cultivation, play a crucial role in understanding the origins of ethnolinguistically diverse populations in modern China and the entire landscape of deep genetic structure and variation discovery in modern East Asians. However, the direct links between ANEA and geographically proximate modern populations, as well as the biological adaptive processes involved, remain poorly understood.
RESULTS
Here, we generated genome-wide SNP data for 264 individuals from geographically different Han populations in Shandong. An integrated genomic resource encompassing both modern and ancient East Asians was compiled to examine fine-scale population admixture scenarios and adaptive traits. The reconstruction of demographic history and hierarchical clustering patterns revealed that individuals from the Shandong Peninsula share a close genetic affinity with ANEA, indicating long-term genetic continuity and mobility in the lower Yellow River basin since the early Neolithic period. Biological adaptive signatures, including those related to immune and metabolic pathways, were identified through analyses of haplotype homozygosity and allele frequency spectra. These signatures are linked to complex traits such as height and body mass index, which may be associated with adaptations to cold environments, dietary practices, and pathogen exposure. Additionally, allele frequency trajectories over time and a haplotype network of two highly differentiated genes, ABCC11 and SLC10A1, were delineated. These genes, which are associated with axillary odor and bilirubin metabolism, respectively, illustrate how local adaptations can influence the diversification of traits in East Asians.
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings provide a comprehensive genomic dataset that elucidates the fine-scale genetic history and evolutionary trajectory of natural selection signals and disease susceptibility in Han Chinese populations. This study serves as a paradigm for integrating spatiotemporally diverse ancient genomes in the era of population genomic medicine.
Topics: Humans; China; Genetics, Population; Haplotypes; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Genomics; Evolution, Molecular; Gene Frequency; Asian People; Genome, Human
PubMed: 38890579
DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10514-9 -
Genetics and Molecular Biology 2024To explore the diversity of scenarios in nature, animals have evolved tools to interact with different environmental conditions. Chemoreceptors are an important...
To explore the diversity of scenarios in nature, animals have evolved tools to interact with different environmental conditions. Chemoreceptors are an important interface component and among them, olfactory receptors (ORs) and gustatory receptors (GRs) can be used to find food and detect healthy resources. Drosophila is a model organism in many scientific fields, in part due to the diversity of species and niches they occupy. The contrast between generalists and specialists Drosophila species provides an important model for studying the evolution of chemoreception. Here, we compare the repertoire of chemoreceptors of different species of Drosophila with that of D. incompta, a highly specialized species whose ecology is restricted to Cestrum flowers, after reporting the preferences of D. incompta to the odor of Cestrum flowers in olfactory tests. We found evidence that the chemoreceptor repertoire in D. incompta is smaller than that presented by species in the Sophophora subgenus. Similar patterns were found in other non-Sophophora species, suggesting the presence of underlying phylogenetic trends. Nevertheless, we also found autapomorphic gene losses and detected some genes that appear to be under positive selection in D. incompta, suggesting that the specific lifestyle of these flies may have shaped the evolution of individual genes in each of these gene families.
PubMed: 38885260
DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-GMB-2022-0383 -
Animal Cognition Jun 2024The blank comparison (BLC) task was developed to assess stimulus relations in discrimination learning; that is, are subjects learning to "select" the correct stimulus...
The blank comparison (BLC) task was developed to assess stimulus relations in discrimination learning; that is, are subjects learning to "select" the correct stimulus (S+) or "reject" the incorrect stimulus (S-) or both? This task has been used to study exclusion learning, mostly in humans and monkeys, and the present study extends the procedure to rats. The BLC task uses an ambiguous stimulus (BLC+/-) that replaces S+ (in the presence of S-) and replaces S- (in the presence of S+). In the current experiment, four rats were trained to remove session-novel scented lids from sand-filled cups in a two-choice, simultaneous presentation procedure called the Odor Span Task (OST) before being trained on the BLC procedure using odors as the discriminative stimuli. The BLC training procedure utilized simple discrimination training (S+ and S-) and added select (S+ and BLC-) and reject (BLC+ and S-) trial types. All rats demonstrated accurate performance in sessions with both select and reject type trials. Next, BLC probe trials were interspersed in standard OST sessions to assess the form of stimulus control in the OST. Rats performed accurately on select type probe trials (similar to baseline OST performance) and also showed above chance accuracy on reject type trials. Thus, we demonstrated that rats could acquire an odor-based version of the BLC task and that both select and exclusion-based (reject) relations were active in the OST. The finding of exclusion in rats under the rigorous BLC task conditions confirms that exclusion-based responding is not limited to humans and non-human primates.
Topics: Animals; Rats; Odorants; Discrimination Learning; Male; Olfactory Perception; Choice Behavior; Rats, Long-Evans
PubMed: 38884865
DOI: 10.1007/s10071-024-01881-7 -
Food Chemistry: X Jun 2024In this study, we investigated the volatile flavor compounds and sensory perceptions of Yanbian-style sauced beef prepared from raw meats subjected to different...
In this study, we investigated the volatile flavor compounds and sensory perceptions of Yanbian-style sauced beef prepared from raw meats subjected to different treatments (hot fresh, chilled, and frozen beef). The results indicated that the treatment of raw beef significantly impacted the quality and flavor of sauced beef. Sauced chilled beef (CRSB) exhibited the highest content of fatty acids and total amino acids. A total of 48 volatile compounds were identified. Moreover, a relative odor activity value analysis identified hexanal, nonanal, heptanal, 1-octen-3-ol, and 2,3-octanedione as the characteristic flavor compounds in Yanbian-style sauced beef. The sensory evaluation demonstrated that CRSB was the most palatable and flavorful. Additionally, correlation loading plot analysis indicated strong correlations between sensory evaluation, fatty acids, amino acids, and volatile flavor compounds. These results suggest that chilled beef meat is the best raw material for the production of Yanbian-style sauced beef.
PubMed: 38883915
DOI: 10.1016/j.fochx.2024.101505